Lullaby
by northernmuse
Summary: Over 4 years after walking out of his life Chelsea is back with a series of shocking revelations that will change Adam's life forever. Adam/Chelsea future fic.
1. Chapter 1

I know Songbird is well overdue an update but when I finally had time to sit down and write I ended up writing multiple chapters of a new story instead. I will try and have the next chapter of Songbird out by the end of the week.

1.

Sitting down opposite her estranged husband Chelsea held on tightly to the small pink teddy bear in her hand, taking a deep breath she looked up and smiled tightly. "Hello Adam."

"Chelsea," Adam replied, his tone terse and wary.

Busying herself in stirring her coffee Chelsea tried to think of the right way to start, she had been over this moment a million times in her head, but now she was here, sat opposite the man that had brought her so much joy and pain she couldn't seem to find the words.

"Chelsea … I didn't jump on a red eye at 2 minutes notice just so that we could sit here in silence, you obviously brought me here for a reason so-"

"I did," Chelsea agreed, cutting him off.

Adam put his cup down. "Well I'm all ears."

"I don't know where to start, there's so much that has happened in the years since I left and then there's so much that happened before, so much that we never talked about," Chelsea remembered, her throat suddenly too dry as she helped herself to a large gulp of coffee.

"I didn't come here to go over old wounds Chelsea," Adam insisted, getting up ready to leave.

Standing up Chelsea reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him from leaving. "Adam. Please?"

"You broke my heart Chelsea," Adam whispered, as he gave in and sat back down.

"Not to sound like a 5-year-old but you broke mine first," Chelsea reminded him.

Looking up Adam's eyes were wide with anger. "That gave you no right to do what you did."

"What I did?" Chelsea asked, her voice high-pitched with grief and anger.

"You killed our child," Adam growled, his voice laced with so much venom that the devil himself would have cowered.

Closing her eyes Chelsea didn't even bother to stop the tears from falling. "No I didn't."

"No matter what I did Chelsea, I didn't deserve that, our baby didn't deserve to be … you had no right to get rid of our child like it never mattered, yes it was your body but it was my baby too, I deserved a say in what happened to it," Adam told her, his voice full of years of pent up anger and unshed grief.

"Adam who told you I-"

"Killed our baby?" Adam asked, cutting her off.

Chelsea nodded, her eyes bright with tears. "Yes."

"Does it matter? Knowing won't change anything," Adam sighed, his body almost deflating.

Chelsea licked her lips. "It matters to me."

"It doesn't change what you did," Adam retorted, not yet willing to reveal who had told him Chelsea's deepest, darkest secret.

"It matters to me because it didn't happen, lies and secrets ruined our marriage and they are still between us now, poisoning our memories," Chelsea explained, desperate for Adam to understand.

Adam looked up, his blue eyes almost black. "What didn't happen?"

"I didn't have an abortion Adam, I would never do that to you, to our baby," Chelsea insisted.

"But if you didn't-"

Wringing her hands together nervously Chelsea looked down as she spoke, for fear that she wouldn't be able to continue if she saw the pain in Adam's eyes. "When you kicked me out I was still pregnant. 6 weeks pregnant to be exact."

"I don't-"

"I tried to tell you, that night at the GCAC but you were so mad, you looked at me with such hatred I … I couldn't be around that Adam, the person that I left that night wasn't the same person that I fell in love with," Chelsea cried, her voice breaking.

Adam watched as she pulled nervously at her sleeves. "I was only like that because I thought you'd-"

"You should have come to me Adam, instead you believed the lies of someone else and kicked me out without even giving me a chance to explain," Chelsea reminded him, remembering back to one of the darkest periods of her life.

"If you didn't have an abortion then why were you at the hospital?" Adam asked.

Chelsea finally found the courage to look up and face him. "Because I was bleeding. I'd spent 6 hours at the hospital terrified that I was losing our child only to come home to all of my stuff thrown on the porch and a husband so full of anger that I actually didn't recognize him."

"If you didn't have an abortion, if you were pregnant when you left, does that mean-"

"That you're a father?" Chelsea asked, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Adam nodded, knowing that at some point they would have to address what had happened in the past but right now he just needed to know if he was someone's father.

"Yes," Chelsea croaked, her words barely audible over the noise of the coffee shop.

"Oh my God Chelsea. I'm a father? I have a child?" Adam breathed, barely able to control the overwhelming maelstrom of emotions he was currently feeling.

Reaching into her bag Chelsea pulled out her keys, finding a heart shaped key ring she ran her fingers gently over the photographed contained within the silver charm. "No. Children. You have children."

"I don't-"

"I was pregnant with twins Adam, that was the news I found out at the hospital, the news that I wanted so desperately to share with you but-"

Reaching out Adam's hand hovered over the top of hers, desperate to hold a part of her but too scared of how she might react so instead he let his hand fall to the table just inches from hers. "Tell me everything about them. Please?"

Turning the key ring over in her hand Chelsea let it rest in her upturned palm. "Amelie Hope Newman was born first, weighing an impressive 7 pounds exactly and from the day she was born she's always been the protector, looking out for her brother."

"A girl and a boy? I have a son and a daughter?" Adam whispered, barely able to believe how much his life had changed in less that an hour.

"Adam James Newman came along a few minutes later. Weighing just a few ounces less than his sister, he didn't cry when he was born but he was perfect, in fact he barely cried at all as a tiny baby, something he soon made up for the minute he turned 3 months old and I tried to move him out of the bassinet and into a crib, he soon made himself known then," Chelsea smiled proudly.

"Adam James?" Adam questioned, touched that even after the way things had ended between them Chelsea had made him a part of their children's lives.

Chelsea nodded. "But everyone calls him AJ. And Amelie they call her Mimi."

"Mimi?" Adam questioned.

"When AJ was little he couldn't say Amelie, he used to say Mimi instead and it just kind of stuck," Chelsea explained.

Taking the key ring out of her hand Adam found himself falling in love with a picture, he hadn't even met his children yet but he already knew beyond a shadow of doubt that he would lay down his life for them.

"Why now?" Adam asked, not knowing what else to say.

"For over 4 years I've lived with the guilt of keeping them from you, and the knowledge that I've been denying them a father but I always managed to convince myself that it was for the best, that if we came back to Genoa City it would poison their lives just like it did everyone else. But now-"

Adam watched as Chelsea seemed to be fighting an internal battle between her heart and her head, her eyes full of conflicting emotions as she considered her next words very carefully. "But now what?"

"Everything's different now. Amelie … my little Mimi is sick and I can't do this on my own Adam, I need you and the twins well … they need their father," Chelsea cried, her heart breaking as she thought of what her little-girl was going through and the devastating effects Amelie's illness was having on her brother.

"Sick? How sick?" Adam asked, his heart breaking for a child he had not yet met.

Chelsea took another gulp of her now lukewarm coffee. "Just over 6 months ago she was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood cancer called Neuroblastoma, it's aggressive and it had already taken over my little-girl's body before we even knew it existed. Mimi she's been so tough though, she's had 4 major surgeries, round after round of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant and finally the last scan showed that she's cancer free, that all of the pain and tears have been worth it."

"Cancer free, that's good right, that means she's going to be alright?" Adam asked, his voice cracking at how unfair it was that someone so small and innocent had to deal with something as ugly as cancer.

"The type of cancer she has is ruthless Adam, even though it's gone her specialists say that without further treatment there's more than a 90% chance that it will come back and that when it does there is no treatment," Chelsea informed him, taking a series of deep breaths to keep herself from sobbing.

Lifting the key ring up so that it was just inches from his face Adam took in the smiling image if his daughter, her eyes the same crystal blue as his but everything else was all Chelsea from the curve of her nose to her perfect smile, and he knew that with everything he had he was going to fight to keep the cancer from invading his little girls body again. "Then we'll just have to make sure it doesn't come back."

"This isn't like anything else you've ever faced Adam, it's not a corrupt business man or a fire starting ex, it's not an investment portfolio or a vengeful father, this is an aggressive monster; Neuroblastoma doesn't care if your last name is Newman, it doesn't care who your father is or how many millions you've got in the bank, it doesn't care-"

Giving into his earlier fear Adam reached out and grabbed hold of her hand. "I know that Chels, but Amelie is our daughter; mine and yours and I know without even meeting her that if she's got even a tenth of her parents determination then she's going to be in that 10 per cent."

"I-"

"You said without further treatment it will come back. What treatment? Amelie is she getting that treatment?" Adam asked, needing to know everything about this invisible evil that was attacking his daughter so that he could fight it with her.

Shaking her head Chelsea once again let her tears fall. "No."

"Why not?" Adam asked, his voice free of accusation and full of only concern.

"Because all of the other treatment has drained me, I've used all of my savings, sold my apartment and the insurance won't cover anymore because it's all experimental, even though the specialists say it's her only hope ... I can't do it for her … my little-girl will die because I can't afford the only thing that could save her," Chelsea wept, her helplessness at the situation obvious.

Adam was silent for a moment as he contemplated her words. "That's why you came to me isn't it? For money?"

"Partly. Yes. And also because I can't do this on my own. Amelie has spent nearly all of the last 6 months in the hospital and I need to be with her, which means that AJ has had to spend days and weeks away from the only family he has ever known, our children need you Adam and not just financially … I try … every waking moment I spend trying to be enough for them but I'm not. I'm not enough for my children," Chelsea admitted.

Motioning to the waiter to bring them over some more coffees Adam knew that he was just buying time but he also knew that he needed to get his head around everything he had just heard. "So what happens now?"

"That's up to you," Chelsea said, adding sachet after sachet of sugar to her coffee.

"Amelie and AJ," Adam began, liking the way the names sounded. "What do they know about me? About why I'm not in their lives?"

Screwing one of the empty sachets up into a ball Chelsea rolled it between her fingers. "They're too little to really understand that there is something missing."

"And when I turn up what will we tell them?" Adam asked.

"The truth," Chelsea breathed.

Picking up the key ring again Adam nodded. "You knew when you walked into this coffee house that I would never be able to walk away from my children, that's not who I am and even though I've only known that they even existed for less than an hour I already love them with everything that I am, so we'll get through this Chels … and whatever it costs, whatever we have to do we'll get our little girl through this and the rest, well hopefully that we can work out as we go along just like every other parent has to."

"Adam you have no idea how much that means to me, to know that I don't have to walk this road alone anymore," Chelsea cried, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it.

"Where are they?" Adam asked.

Taking the key ring off of him Chelsea smiled at the image of her children. "They're with a sitter just a few minutes down the road, there's a motel … I know it's not ideal Mimi her immune system is non existent but … we have no money for anything more."

"I want you to take me to them," Adam insisted. "Every minute that we spend here going over things we can't change is yet another minute of their lives that I'll never get back."

"Ok," Chelsea agreed.

Standing up Adam waited for her to lead the way as he followed her out of the coffee shop and down the road, a road that would lead to a new chapter in his life, a chapter in which he was the father of 3-year-old twins that he had yet to meet but had already taken over his heart.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

Watching as Chelsea turned her key in the lock Adam paused as if frozen to the spot by some invisible force keeping him outside. A force created by fear because he knew that the minute he stepped inside that house and became a part of his children's life there would be no turning back. Because children loved completely and once they knew who he was his happiness would not be paramount anymore.

From the minute he walked through that door his priorities would be forever changed waking up every morning would no longer be about the business, or proving himself, it wouldn't be about making up for sins of the past or increasing his already very large bank account instead every breath he took would be about making sure his children were happy, healthy, loved and that he did everything in his power to be the father they deserved.

"Thank you Lisa," Chelsea said, breaking through the silence as she handed a young girl 20 dollars.

Lisa shook her head. "You don't have to pay me. I love looking after the Dynamic Duo, you know that."

"I know but you take such amazing care of them," Chelsea told her, grateful for everything the young girl had done for her and her children.

Once they were alone at the door Adam frowned. "You left them with a child?"

"Lisa's not a child, she's a 21-year-old nursing student who has helped me out of many a sticky situation where childcare is involved," Chelsea retorted, her body language immediately adapting a defensive stance.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to judge it's just-"

Chelsea shook her head. "No. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped it's just … I've been making the decisions on my own for so long that it's going to be hard to lean on someone else."

"It's going to be a learning process for both of us," Adam agreed.

An uncomfortable silence descended upon the estranged duo until it was broken by a sleepy voice.

"Mama?" the tiny voice questioned as a small head popped out from under the blanket.

"Hey Baby-Girl," Chelsea smiled, walking over to the bed and scooping her daughter up into her arms, both of their faces hidden by the darkness.

Cuddling into her mother Amelie rested her head against Chelsea's chest. "AJ fell asleep before you gotted back."

"That's because it's bed time," Chelsea informed her daughter, placing a kiss on the youngsters bald head.

Amelie was about to reply with a counter argument when she suddenly realized that they weren't alone, untangling herself from her mother's arms she climbed down from the bed and walked over towards where Adam stood, her slipper-clad feet barely making a noise atop the well-worn wooden, motel floor.

"Who is you?" Amelie asked, as her curios blue eyes crinkled.

"Who are you," Chelsea corrected, walking over to her daughter and placing a hand protectively on her shoulder.

Adam looked up at Chelsea, his eyes silently asking her permission to respond, when she nodded he knelt down so that he was face-to-face with Amelie. "I'm Adam."

"Adam? Wow, I have an Adam too but we call him AJ," Amelia said, her words clear and concise for somebody her age.

"It's a great name. What's your name?" Adam asked, even though he already knew.

Feeling more comfortable in his presence Amelie took a step towards him. "Amelie Hope Newman but all my people call me Mimi."

"All your people?" Adam asked with a smile.

"Mm hmm," Amelie nodded.

Reaching out his hand Adam was mesmerized by the perfect little being that had been created by his love for Chelsea. "Well it's very nice to meet you Amelie."

"Call me Mimi," Amelie corrected.

"Does that make me one of your people then?" Adam questioned.

Amelie nodded, her blue eyes dancing. "Yep."

"Well I'm honored," Adam whispered, desperate to stop himself from falling apart in front of his daughter.

Yawning Amelie wiped tiredly at her eyes as she walked back towards her mother, pulling at her trouser leg silently asking to be picked up.

"Looks like someone is ready to join her brother in bed," Chelsea pointed out.

"Nah uh," Amelie protested, her eyes flickering shut.

Laughing gently Chelsea tucked her stubborn daughter under the blanket, making sure that AJ was also covered up, sitting on the edge of the bed she kissed her head before singing a gentle lullaby, getting only to the end of the first verse before Amelie was fast asleep, her right arm resting over the top of her sleeping brother.

"She's amazing," Adam whispered, his voice thick with awe at the sight of his 2 children sleeping.

"Wait until you meet AJ, now that kid is a spitfire, it's like living with the Tasmanian Devil," Chelsea chuckled as she motioned to the threadbare couch in the corner of the room.

Looking around at the tiny motel room Adam spotted a small kitchen stacked with child-friendly foods, suitcases lay on the floor, some open and some not. "How long have you been living here for?"

"A few months, we needed to be close to the hospital whilst Mimi was having the last of her treatment plan," Chelsea explained.

Looking up at the ceiling Adam frowned at the patches of damp. "This is no place for children Chelsea. Especially not a sick child."

"I know that Adam," Chelsea tersely replied. "But I'm just making the best of what I've got."

"But it's not all you've got. You could have come to me Chels, anytime day or night and I would have been there for you, for all of you," Adam insisted, trying to keep his voice free of accusations.

Chelsea looked over at where her children slept. "You broke me Adam. And it took a long time to fix that but the twins … they are my world, they healed me."

"I want you to come and stay with me, at least just while we sort out what the next step is for Amelie," Adam explained.

"Go back to Genoa City?" Chelsea asked, not really sure if he knew what he was asking of her.

Adam nodded. "Yes."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Chelsea replied, the panic obvious in her voice.

"Why not? I have more than enough space for all of you, AJ and Amelie wouldn't want for a thing," Adam argued.

Chelsea turned her head to look at him. "I know that Adam but Genoa City … that place poisons people, the lies, power struggles, I don't know if I want my children to be a part of that."

"I would never let that happen," Adam vowed.

"You also said that you would never let anyone come between us and look what happened there," Chelsea reminded him.

Adam shook his head. "Things are different now. I'm different now, I promise you Chelsea I will protect our children from everything that destroyed us. I know there's bad memories for you in Genoa City but-"

"We had some good ones too," Chelsea interrupted.

"We did," Adam agreed. "Some of the happiest times of my life."

Taking a deep breath Chelsea looked back over at her sleeping children. "You promise you'll protect them?"

"With every breath I have," Adam promised her. "And like I said it doesn't have to be forever, it's just the next logical step to take whilst we figure out where we stand and what we need to do next to help our daughter."

Chelsea was silent for a few minutes before finally speaking. "Ok."

"Ok?" Adam echoed, needing to know that he had heard her properly.

Running her hand tiredly through her hair Chelsea nodded. "Yes. AJ, Amelie and I will come back to Genoa City with you."

"Chelsea that's great. I'm going to call the airport and book the flights," Adam suggested, needing to feel like he was doing something.

"That's great Adam but Mimi can't fly, planes are full of bugs and she has no immune system right now, and I need to visit the hospital, see if the insurance will cover enough medication-"

Holding up his hand Adam cut her off. "You don't need to worry about money anymore Chelsea, first thing in the morning I'll set you up with a limitless credit card so that you can get Amelie all of the medication she needs and anything else that her and AJ need. As for the flying I'll arrange a private jet, that way there won't be anyone else that might pass their germs on to Amelie."

"Adam you don't have to do that," Chelsea argued, scared by how quickly things were moving and changing.

"I want to Chelsea. AJ and Amelie are my children too, please let me do this for them?" Adam pleaded.

Standing up Chelsea walked over towards the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water, holding one out to Adam who shook his head. "Ok, but you need to give me a few hours in the morning to sort out all of the medical stuff."

"Of course," Adam agreed.

"How about if you meet us back here at midday?" Chelsea suggested.

Adam could feel his panic rising as he took in the doubt in Chelsea's face. "And you promise you'll be here?"

"I promise Adam. I won't take your children away from you again," Chelsea promised him.

"Ok," Adam smiled, allowing himself to relax a little bit.

Chelsea watched as Adam stood up and walked over towards the door. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Adam agreed, and with one last lingering look towards the bed where his children slept he left, knowing that the last thing on his mind tonight was sleep, he had a lot to do if he was going to be ready to bring his wife and children home to Genoa City where they belonged.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

Carrying the large bag of pharmacy items into the motel room Chelsea stifled a giggle as she took in the sight that greeted her, Lisa was sat cross-legged on the floor as AJ painted her face and Amelie attempted to tie her hair into a plat.

"Wow, I think that must be the best make over I've ever seen," Chelsea laughed, holding up her phone and taking a picture.

"You're evil," Lisa said as she stood up walked over to the couch.

Sitting down next to her friend Chelsea watched as AJ proceeded to paint bright yellow and red face paints all over his sister's head. "How have they been?"

"Little devils as always," Lisa joked.

"You're a star," Chelsea said before turning her attention to her children. "AJ be careful of your sister's wiggly," she warned her son, referring to the tube that currently sat in Amelia's nose, a tube that was used to feed her when she was too sick and tired from her treatment to get the nutrition she needed.

Amelie looked up at her mother. "But Mama he's just making me up."

"As long as he's careful," Chelsea insisted.

"So you're really leaving?" Lisa asked, once she was sure AJ and Amelie were too busy playing to pay attention to what they were saying.

Chelsea nodded. "Yeah in a few hours."

"And that man from last night, that was the twin's father?" Lisa asked.

"The one and only," Chelsea answered.

Lisa watched as her friends face seemed to take on an almost dreamlike state, as if she was lost in another time. "And you're going back with him?"

"He's going to help me with the kids and together we're going to get Mimi into the trial," Chelsea explained.

"That's great, I mean that he's going to help you raise the money and the twins," Lisa exclaimed.

Chelsea looked over at where her children were playing. "They deserve to have him in their life, despite what happened between us he's a good man and I know he'll make an amazing father."

"I hope everything works out for you," Lisa smiled.

"You'll keep in touch?" Chelsea asked, hoping that after everything she had done for them that Lisa wouldn't just disappear from their lives.

Lisa nodded. "Just you try and stop me. I want to know everything my 2 little terrors get up to."

"Thank you. For everything, really there's been so many times when I don't know how I would have coped without you," Chelsea whispered, her voice on the verge of tears as she remembered back on everything Lisa had been through with them.

Shaking her head Lisa watched as Amelie tried to help AJ make purple. "Just keep on fighting."

"Always," Chelsea vowed.

Wiping at her tears Chelsea stood up and walked across the room so she was stood just feet away from her children as they started arguing about what colors you needed to make pink. "AJ, Mimi it's time to get out of your pajamas, Mama's friend Adam is going to be here soon and the plane will not wait forever."

"Are we really going on a plane?" AJ asked, tilting his upwards towards his mother.

Chelsea nodded. "Yep."

"That is so cool," AJ exclaimed as he ran over towards the clothes that has been left out for him.

"I want to stay in my pj's on the plane," Amelie insisted, standing up and crossing her arms across her chest.

Standing next to his sister AJ copied her pose. "Me too."

"I don't think so, you need to get dressed. Now," Chelsea instructed.

"No," Amelie argued back moving her hands and placing them akimbo style on her hips.

Realizing that right now the easiest choice when it came to her stubborn children was to pick her battles wisely Chelsea decided that going on a plane in their pajamas wouldn't do them any harm.

"Fine," Chelsea relented.

"Yay," AJ and Amelia sang in unison as AJ turned to high five his sister.

"But you need to at least put outdoor shoes on. Ok?" Chelsea told her defiant duo.

Running over to the bed AJ pulled a pair of snow boots out from under it before going back under for his sister's purple pair.

"Awesome choice," Amelie said as she took the boots from her brother and headed over to Lisa for help putting them on.

Turning around towards her friend Chelsea shook her head in mock annoyance. "You know I hold you entirely responsible for the fact that the most popular word in my children's vocabulary is awesome."

"I know it's awesome isn't it?" Lisa teased.

"Yeah awesome," Amelie agreed, although Chelsea was pretty sure the youngster had no idea what it really was she was agreeing too.

Not wanting to be left out AJ pulled himself up next to his sister. "It's awesome Mama."

"Argh," Chelsea screamed as she headed over to the kitchen and poured herself a coffee, knowing she would need all the caffeine she could get if she was going to make it through the flight with 2 excitable youngsters in one piece.

"Knock, knock," Adam called out as he walked up to the open door.

Shuffling down off of the couch Amelie ran towards him. "Adam. Mama says we're going on a plane with you. AJ this is the other Adam, he's the one with the plane."

"You have a plane? That's so cool," AJ exclaimed as he stepped forward but still hiding a little behind his sister.

As he got a proper look at his son for the first time Adam felt like he was looking in a mirror because everything about the little-boy was him, from the dimple in his chin to the way his lips curled up, the only difference being in stark contrast to Amelie's bright blue eyes AJ had inherited his mother's chocolate brown orbs.

"It is pretty cool," Adam agreed.

"I should be going," Lisa announced, standing up and gathering her bags as she walked over to the twins and hugged them, making them promise to send her pictures all the time.

Adam stepped in front of Lisa blocking her from leaving. "I know we don't know each other but Chelsea told me how amazing you've been for her and the children so I just wanted to say thank-you, and to give you a little something from the 4 of us to help you with your studies."

"You don't have to do that," Lisa told him as she found herself holding a check for 20 thousand dollars.

"I know I don't, but I want to," Adam replied.

Wrapping her arms around her friend Chelsea whispered in her ear. "Take it, please, you deserve that and so much more for everything you've done for us."

"Ok," Lisa relented as she said a final goodbye to the twins before leaving the 4 of them alone.

"How big is your plane?" AJ asked, breaking the silence. "Is it big enough to take my toys on it? And my clothes? And Mimi's toys and clothes?"

"Everything," Adam reassured the youngster.

Amelie pursed her lips together in a questioning manner. "And where is the plane flying us too?"

"A place called Genoa City," Adam replied, feeling like he was being interrogated by 2 pint-sized detectives.

"Where's Gender City?" Amelie wondered.

"Genoa City," Chelsea corrected her daughter with a laugh.

Amelie frowned, the fiercely independent youngster hated to be corrected. "I was talking to Adam."

"Manners Little Lady," Chelsea warned her daughter.

"It's about a few hours by plane," Adam replied, trying not to laugh as he watched Chelsea go head-to-head with a miniature version of herself.

Amelie nodded as if she knew exactly where Adam was talking about. "And you have a house there?"

"A big house," Adam answered.

"Can I have my own room?" AJ asked, making his presence known once again.

Chelsea affectionately ruffled her son's hair. "We'll see, but if we don't leave soon then we'll never find out because the plane will leave without us."

"Oh no," AJ panicked, covering his hand with mouth.

"Oh no exactly," Chelsea agreed as she started to help Adam out with the bags, loading them up into the car he had hired to take them to the airstrip before buckling the twins into the car seats the hire company had provided.

The short journey to the airstrip was filled with the excited chatter of Amelie and AJ as they talked between themselves about the adventure that awaited them, occasionally including their parents into the conversation, mainly only when they needed an argument settled.

"Mama?" Amelie asked, turning her attention to Chelsea as the 4 of them got settled on the private jet Adam had arranged.

"Yes?" Chelsea replied, wrapping her arm around her daughter.

Leaning against her mother Amelie looked down at the winding tube that snaked out of her chest, a tube that had spent the last 6 months delivering life saving medication. "Will I still have to go to hospital in the new place? Or am I all well now?"

"Oh Baby-Girl," Chelsea whispered, hating that her 3 and half year old had already had to endure so much in her short life. "The doctors still need to give you some medicine to try and stop the bad lumps from coming back, but I promise you that Adam and I are going to do everything we can to help them so that you get to go to school with AJ."

"Ok," Amelie smiled, seemingly happy with the answer she had received as she turned to look out the window, talking a mile a minute about everything that was happening.

As she listened to her children's excited chatter Chelsea couldn't help but allow herself to believe that perhaps going back to Genoa City wasn't such a bad move after all, because she would have Adam to help her carry some of the burden that she had been carrying on her own. And as the plane took off she actually found herself believing that with Adam by her side her, Amelie and AJ really would be ok.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

As Adam held his son tightly to him he turned to face Chelsea as they paused outside of Crimson Lights, the music filtering gently through into the evening air.

"Are you sure about this?" Adam asked.

Adjusting the weight of her sleeping daughter Chelsea nodded. "You promised AJ and Mimi hot chocolate and cookies, I can't keep my children hidden away, it's not fair on them."

"Ok," Adam agreed.

"Can have mellows on my chocolate?" AJ asked as they entered the coffee shop.

Chelsea nodded. "Of course, it's not a proper hot chocolate without marshmallows and sprinkles."

"And Amelie?" Adam questioned, referring to his still sleeping daughter.

"She'll have the same," Chelsea replied. "But she's not a massive cookie fan, she does however love those chocolate twist things if they still do them here?"

"And you?" Adam asked.

Sitting down Chelsea adjusted Amelie so that she was sat facing her, one leg either side of her mother's body with her head resting sleepily on her chest. "I'll have the usual."

"Anything to eat?" Adam queried as he let AJ climb down out of his arms.

"I'm good," Chelsea smiled as she watched Adam instinctively take hold of AJ's hand as the pair approached the counter and placed the order.

Sitting down opposite Chelsea Adam helped AJ up onto the chair as the youngster hungrily tucked into his cookie.

"Anyone would think I never feed him," Chelsea laughed.

"Should we wake Amelie up?" Adam wondered as the barista placed the drinks down in front of them.

Chelsea shook her head. "Nah. It's best that we let her sleep."

"It's ok if Mimi doesn't waked up I'll have her chocolate too," AJ offered as he took a bite out of the cream on his drink.

"No," Amelie protested, lifting her head up off of her mother. "It's my drink. Mine."

Chelsea looked at Adam and smiled. "Hey there Sleepy Head."

"Don't let AJ have my chocolate," Amelie yawned.

"Never," Adam laughed as he watched his daughter climb down off of her mother's lap and onto the empty chair, pulling at her bandana.

Reaching over Chelsea adjusted the purple scarf that covered her daughter's bald head so that it now sat neatly. "What do you say to Adam?"

"Thank-you," AJ and Amelie replied in unison.

"Well, well, well look what the cat dragged in," Victor spoke as he and Nikki approached the young family, Victor's eyes glaring into Chelsea.

Standing up Adam stood protectively in front of his family. "Hello Dad."

"Chelsea. I didn't think we'd be seeing you again," Victor said, ignoring Adam and instead turning his attention to his estranged daughter-in-law.

"Not here, not in front of the children," Adam whispered.

Looking behind his son, his eyes darting between the young girl and boy as he took in the children's startling resemblance to his son. "Children?"

"Outside. We'll talk outside," Adam ordered as he led his father and Nikki outside.

"So when did the Con Artist arrive back in town?" Victor asked.

Adam took a deep breath to stop himself from saying something he might regret, when it came to his father he had learnt to play his cards carefully. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"My family. My business," Victor insisted.

"It's not your family though, it's my family and if you can't say anything nice about the mother of my children then I suggest you don't say anything at all," Adam warned.

Victor looked through the window to where Chelsea sat laughing at the antics of her son and daughter. "Mother of your children? And you're just going to take her word for that are you?"

"I'm warning you," Adam growled. "If you ever want to be a part of their lives you will treat Chelsea with the respect she deserves."

"Please tell me you at least have solid proof that those children are yours before you start opening your wallet?" Victor asked.

Adam looked down at the floor, composing himself before speaking. "I don't need any test to know those children are mine, the minute I looked into their eyes I knew."

"Then you're a bigger idiot than I thought you were," Victor told his son as Nikki watched through the window as Amelie kneeled up on the chair and took a large bite of her pastry, the tube in the young girls nose an obvious sign that all was not well with the small child.

Stepping in front of her husband Nikki addressed her step son. "The little-girl, what's wrong with her?"

"My daughter's health is none of your business," Adam defensively replied, wanting to protect his children from the poison that seemed to eventually find it's way into every part of his life, thank to the Newman name.

"I-"

Taking her husband by the arm Nikki stopped him before he had a chance to dig himself deeper into his son's bad books. "We should get going, Victoria and Johnny will be waiting at The Ranch for us."

"Don't let her play you for the fool Son, not again," Victor warned determined to have the last word.

"The only fool around here is you," Adam muttered under his breath as he watched his father and Nikki walk away, determined that unless the Newman matriarch changed his ways he was never going to let the bitter, old man be a part of his children's lives.

Walking into the coffee shop Adam felt a pair of small arms wrap around him as he approached the table.

"Adam," AJ exclaimed, untangling his arms from around Adam's legs and leading the older man back to the table. "Mimi was worrying that you were going to not come back but I told her you would. You're our friend now and that means you'll always come back. Right?" the youngster asked chocolate eyes wide and hopeful.

"Right," Adam agreed.

Watching as her son interacted with his father Chelsea was desperate for AJ to know who Adam really was, he wanted his son to know that just like she would always be there for him that Adam would too.

"Mama?" Amelie said, scooping her finger around the inside of her mug before licking it clean,

"Yes Baby?" Chelsea breathed, putting down her drink.

Amelia frowned, her bright blue eyes crinkling. "I'm not a baby."

"Sorry," Chelsea apologized.

"But I do need to wee," Amelie added, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

Standing up Chelsea helped Amelie down off of the chair, taking her by the hand she led her to the toilet leaving Adam and AJ alone at the table.

"Adam I need to wee too," AJ piped up once they were alone at the table.

Thrown by the request Adam suddenly realized that it was the simple things like how much independence to give his children that he would need to learn. "Would you like me to come with you?"

"Do you need to wee too?" AJ questioned.

Adam nodded, realizing that AJ didn't want to go by himself but at the same time his head-strong 3-year-old wasn't willing to admit he wanted help. "You know what Buddy, I think I do," he smiled as walked his son to the toilet, asking the man behind the counter to keep an eye on their table until they came back.

"Toilet break?" Chelsea asked as Adam and AJ arrived back at the table.

Helping AJ back up onto the chair Adam nodded. "Yep."

Drawing Adam's attention to the sleepy young girl in her lap Chelsea looked at her watch. "We really should think about getting them home. It's been a long day."

"Of course," Adam agreed.

"So kids are you ready to go and check out the house?" Chelsea asked her sleepy duo.

AJ and Amelie nodded as her and Adam both picked one of them up and headed out to the car strapping them into their booster seats where they promptly fell asleep, worn out by the excitement of the day.

As they entered the house Chelsea looked around, shocked by how little had changed. "It looks just how I remember it."

"Ever since you left I spend as little time here as possible, the house just doesn't feel the same without you," Adam explained.

"I was thinking the twins and I should sleep in the guest room, we're used to sharing a bed," Chelsea pointed out.

Adam smiled knowingly. "I've got a better idea," he said as he carried AJ upstairs, waiting for Chelsea to follow him with Amelie.

Opening the door next to the bedroom he had shared with Chelsea during their marriage Adam turned on the light, turning on the spot so that he could see her reaction.

"Adam. Wow," Chelsea exclaimed. "When did you have time to arrange this?"

"After I left the motel last night I made a few calls, I wanted AJ and Amelie to feel as welcome as possible," Adam told her as Chelsea stepped into the room, looking around in wonderment at the child-friendly atmosphere he had created.

Looking around Chelsea laid her sleeping daughter down on the white toddler bed, running her hand over the soft purple and pink furnishings that adorned the canopy bed before walking over to the other end of the room where a pine toddler bed sat, decorated in colors that perfectly suited her little man. In less than a day he had managed to create a room that displayed both his children's personalities, one side of it fit for a princess and the other side perfect for her little spitfire.

"This is incredible Adam, they've never had a room like this, even when I still owned the apartment their room was tiny, barely enough room to swing a cat," Chelsea cried.

Laying AJ down on his bed Adam took Chelsea by the hand and led her through a door to the adjoining room which he had decorated for his wife, the colors soft and neutral. "I thought you would want to be close to them."

"Thank-you," Chelsea whispered. "This is more than I could ever had imagined."

"I wanted you and our children to feel at home, I wanted you to know that I was in this for the long haul Chels, you and I were going to make this work because we have AJ and Amelie and they need us to fight for them, to fight for our family," Adam vowed turning to face her he took her hands in his.

Blinking slowly Chelsea let her silent tears fall. "I never stopped loving you Adam. Not for one single minute."


	5. Chapter 5

"Mama," Amelie called out.

"Mama," AJ echoed.

"Wake up," Amelie demanded.

"Wake up," AJ shouted, echoing his sister once again.

Standing by the doorway Adam watched as the twins whispered between themselves, mischief written all over their faces as they devised a way to wake their still slumbering mother.

"Pssst," Adam laughed, alerting his devious duo to his presence,

"Not now Adam," Amelie said, her tone taking on an authority beyond her years. "We gotta wake Mama so we can eat, my tummy is really, really hungry."

AJ nodded in agreement. "Mine too."

"I can make you breakfast," Adam suggested, wanting to let Chelsea sleep as long as possible, as he couldn't imagine that taking care of herself had been top of her priorities in recent months.

AJ turned to face his new friend. "Can you make pancakes?"

"Yep," Adam smiled.

"Funny shape pancakes?" Amelie queried.

Adam knelt down so that he was at the same height as them. "I can try."

Turning towards her brother Amelie whispered something into his ear the young boy nodded eagerly before the due turned to face him, their faces plastered in matching, serious expressions.

"Ok, you can make us breakfast," Amelie informed him.

"But we have a concern," AJ added.

Adam frowned. "A concern?"

"Yes a concern," AJ nodded. "You can only make us breakfast if we get to eated it in front of the cartoons."

Biting back a laugh Adam tried to look serious, something that was near impossible when he found himself having to broker deals with his 3 and half year old twins. "You mean a condition?"

"Well?" Amelie wondered, waiting for his answer.

"I think that can be arranged," Adam agreed. "Bit I have a condition … concern of my own, we can make pancakes and watch cartoons but only if you let your Mama sleep for a little bit longer."

Pursing his lips together in a thoughtful manner AJ whispered something in his sister's ear before turning his attention back to Adam. "We can do that."

"Then we have a deal," Adam told them, his pride at the duos bargaining skills obvious in his tone.

Stepping forward AJ reached out his hand. "Deal."

When Adam didn't make a move Amelie took it upon herself to explain the rules to him. "If we maked a deal you have to shake on it."

"Oh ok," Adam chuckled as he shook AJ's outstretched hands before stepping in front of Amelie and doing the same.

"Good we got that sorted," Amelie sighed as they followed Adam outside the room. "Because my tummy is still really, really hungry."

Back inside the room Chelsea hid her head in her pillow in a desperate bid to muffle her laughter, having woken up the second the twins had entered her room she had pretended to remain asleep as she spied on the trios conversation. Finding great satisfaction in watching the great CEO Adam Newman go toe-to-toe with her mini executives in the making.

"Can I have chocolate sauce on my pancake?" Amelie asked.

"Mama doesn't let her have chocolate sauce in the morning," AJ said, totally oblivious to the glare his sister was currently sending his way.

Sticking her tongue out at her brother Amelie crossed her arms across her chest. "She does."

"Does not," AJ argued.

"Does," Amelie countered.

"No she does not," AJ insisted. "She says it's not a breakfast food."

Knowing that if he left it any longer he could quite possibly have a full scale brawl on his hands Adam decided to intervene. "Well I think your Mama has a point chocolate isn't really a breakfast food. How about we have some strawberries and banana?"

"Boring," Amelie sulked.

"I like strawberries and banana," AJ smiled.

Amelie rolled her eyes at her brother. "That's because your boring."

"Am not," AJ frowned.

"Are too," Amelie huffed still frustrated with him for foiling her plans for a chocolate covered breakfast.

Opening his fridge Adam tried to see what else he had to offer. "How about some apple juice?" he suggested, eyeing the brightly colored cartons in the hopes they would bring peace to his warring children.

"Ok," Amelie begrudgingly agreed as she took the juice box from him.

"Thank-you," AJ smiled as Adam helped him up onto the stool.

Standing in the doorway Chelsea leaned against the wall, pulling her dressing gown tightly around herself. "And where are your manners Little Lady?"

"Thank-you," Amelie obediently replied as she too was helped up onto a stool at the breakfast bar.

Walking over to the coffee machine Chelsea turned it on, finding everything she needed exactly where it used to be. "Welcome to mornings with my little monsters."

"Is it like this every morning?" Adam wondered.

"Oh this is tame," Chelsea laughed.

Flipping the first batch of pancakes over Adam thanked Chelsea as she handed him a fresh coffee. "Well with us for parents they were hardly going to be wallflowers were they?"

"True," Chelsea agreed.

"Anything special planned for today?" Adam asked as he carried the breakfast into the lounge, letting the twins set out a blanket in front the TV as he and Chelsea made themselves comfortable on the sofa.

Leaning back Chelsea moved the cushion from behind her. "Not really, I thought I'd just let the twins get settled in for a few days before we started making plans."

"I thought I could take a few days off work," Adam suggested.

Chelsea hated to think about how much she had turned Adam's life upside down in the space of 48 hours. "You don't have to do that."

"I know I don't," Adam told her. "But I want to, nothing in my life is more important than spending time with you, AJ and Amelie."

"We'd like that," Chelsea smiled.

Choosing his next words carefully Adam decided to broach a subject that had been troubling him, careful not to wound Chelsea's pride. "I couldn't help but notice that you didn't bring much stuff with you?"

"We don't need much," Chelsea shrugged.

"I know," Adam agreed, not wanting to make Chelsea feel bad for not being able to afford toys and clothes but at the same time not wanting his children to go without. "But I want the twins to feel at home here, so I thought we could take them shopping, maybe invest in some new toys and clothes."

Putting her coffee down on the table Chelsea immediately clued in to what Adam was trying to do and while she was grateful that he wanted to do so much for her and the their children she couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt at the fact that they had spent so long going without treats. "They're ok with not having much Adam, they don't really know any different, they have what they need and they're ok with that."

"Things are different now Chels, you're not in this alone anymore and I want to provide for my children and for you. I've already missed so many birthdays and Christmases that … I want to do this … I need to do this. Please?" Adam pleaded.

Watching as AJ and Amelie argued over what channel to watch Chelsea could see where Adam was coming from and she understood his need to spoil them, but at the same time she didn't want to confuse the twins more than they already were. "Ok, some new clothes and a few toys would be nice."

"We could take them to the department store, it's got everything you could possible want under one roof," Adam suggested.

"Sounds perfect," Chelsea smiled uneasily, worried about how fast things were changing, while most of her was happy with that fact that AJ and Amelie now had someone else looking out and providing for them there was still a part of her, the part that had been doing it all on her own so far that wasn't quite ready yet to completely share the parenting role.

Standing up Adam ruffled AJ's hair as the youngster stood up triumphantly having finally wrestled control of the TV from his sister.

"There's just a few calls I have to make first," Adam explained. "Them I'm all yours," he added before heading towards his study, leaving Chelsea alone to contemplate the changes that were taking place in her life and the impact they would have on the future.

"Hey Kiddos, time to get dressed," Chelsea ordered her duo.

AJ swiveled around on his bottom to face his mom. "But Mama we're having a cartoon picnic."

"I guess you don't want to go shopping then?" Chelsea said, knowing that would get her children's attention.

"Shopping?" Amelie asked, her ears practically standing on end at the mention of one of her favorite words.

Chelsea nodded. "Yes shopping."

"The boring kind or the fun kind?" Amelie questioned.

"The really fun kind," Chelsea replied.

Standing up Amelie headed for the stairs. "I bet I can get dressed quickest than AJ."

"No you can't," AJ argued as he followed his sister up the stairs.

Heading up behind them Chelsea laughed triumphantly to herself as she listened to them argue back and forth about who could get dressed the quickest she decided to leave them to it for a few minutes, past experience telling her that a little healthy competition between her children was the best motivator if she ever wanted to get them to do something.

"Finished," AJ triumphantly announced as he ran into his mom's room.

Unable to hide her laughter Chelsea shook her head as she took in her son's outfit. "You can not wear that."

"Why not?" AJ asked.

"Because it's your sisters," Chelsea pointed out as she took in the bright pink shirt that AJ wore with a pair of his own jeans.

Walking into the room Amelie stopped in her tracks as she spotted what her brother was wearing. "That's mine AJ."

"But I like it," AJ argued.

"Come on Buddy, I'll help you find something else," Chelsea pointed out as she took her son by the hand and led him back into the room, going through his suitcase in the hope of finding something for him to wear that wasn't pink and shiny with hearts on it.

Meanwhile downstairs Adam had just finished organizing cover at Newman when he was interrupted from his next task by someone knocking loudly on the front door.

"What are you doing here?" Adam asked, his contempt for his father obvious in his voice.

"We need to talk," Victor insisted.

Adam shook his head, moving to close the door. "I've got nothing to say to you."

"Adam," AJ called out as he ran towards the door.

Adam stepped back in a bid to shield his son from Victor. "You need to leave," he quietly ordered his father.

Taking advantage of the fact that Adam was momentarily preoccupied by the youngster's arrival Victor stepped into the house. "Not until I've said what I came to say."

"Who are you?" AJ asked, looking up at the other man as he half hid behind his father.

Victor looked down at the young boy as the youngster eyed him suspiciously. "I'm your G-"

"He's no one important," Adam interrupted, the twins didn't even know that he was their father yet so there was no way he was letting them know who Victor really was.

Pulling at Adam's shirt AJ motioned for him to bend down so that he could whisper something in his ear. "He's scary."

"I know," Adam chuckled. "But it's ok because I'm here to protect you."

"Good," AJ nodded.

Standing back up Adam faced his father. "Please leave before you upset my children."

"This isn't over," Victor warned.

Watching as his father left, Adam shut the door as he followed AJ back into the house. "I'm sure it isn't," he muttered under his breath, trying to push his father back to the back of his mind and instead concentrate all of his energy on Chelsea, AJ and Amelie because as things stood at the moment they were the only family that mattered.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

After 3 days of absolute uncomplicated bliss of getting to know his children and reacquainting himself with his estranged wife Adam found himself falling back down to earth with a bang as he stepped into the Newman office to find Victor sat behind his desk waiting for him.

"Get out," Adam growled.

"This is becoming a bit of a habit don't you think?" Victor asked, not making any signs of moving.

Adam shook his head. "If I have to I won't think twice about calling security."

"I just want to talk," Victor insisted.

"No you don't," Adam argued. "You never do, there's always some hidden agenda be it you trying to emotionally blackmail me into selling you my company or you trying to control my personal life which for the record is none of you business."

Victor looked up at his son. "How is Chelsea?"

"None of your business," Adam replied, his voice low and warning.

"I'm sure Amanda is thrilled that your ex is back in town," Victor observed, referring to Adam's personal secretary and someone that had become a good friend to him over the last few years.

Taking a step towards the desk Adam removed his hands from his pocket. "Not that it has anything to do with you but Amanda and I are just friends."

"The children," Victor began, his voice suddenly taking on a softer tone. "So they really are yours then? Only the little boy didn't seem to know you were his father when I called round."

"My children are nothing to do with you," Adam warned his father.

Victor stood up and rested his hands on the desk. "If they really are your children then that makes them my grandchildren and you know how much my family means to me."

"Don't you even dare try and play the caring grandfather card with me, we both know that the only grandchildren you care about are Nicholas and Victoria's children," Adam pointed out.

Victor looked down at the floor before looking up again. "That's not true Son."

"Why are you still here?" Adam asked, changing the subject away from AJ and Amelie.

"After the other night in Crimson Lights Nikki and I haven't been able to stop thinking about what we saw, Chelsea and the children … the little-girl she didn't look well and … I care deeply about my family. Even you," Victor explained.

Adam laughed bitterly. "Well you have a really funny way of showing it."

"I know things have never been simple between us but you're part of my family and that will never change regardless of who is at the helm of Newman. I would never wish any harm on you or your children," Victor insisted, his voice full sincerity.

Narrowing his eyes Adam watched his father intently for some sign that the Newman matriarch was playing him. "What's your angle?"

"I know you may find this hard to believe but I don't have one," Victor said walking around the desk so that he was just a few feet away from his son.

"You're right I do find that hard to believe," Adam told him.

Victor dropped his hands to his side in an almost resigned manner. "I just want the chance to know my grandchildren."

"After the way you reacted the other day I find that hard to believe," Adam said, remembering back to Victor's attitude towards Chelsea and the twins.

"I've had time to think about things since then and that little boy and girl are a part of my family just like Noah, Summer -"

Adam was becoming increasingly confused by his father's words, whilst he was unable to hear anything but sincerity in his voice history told him that where Victor Newman was concerned there was always an ulterior motive.

"Look you don't have to decide anything now and I know that you'll need to talk to Chelsea but I'd like to meet them," Victor suggested.

"It's not that simple though is it?" Adam asked.

"It could be, if we wanted it to be," Victor pointed out.

Adam shook his head, he already had so much going on trying to get his head around the fact he had 2 children, 1 of which was battling a serious illness. "If you really mean what you're saying then you'll respect my wishes and leave my family alone."

"Ok," Victor agreed. "I'll leave but before I do … the children … what are they called?"

When Adam didn't reply Victor took his silence as a refusal to share any information regarding his children, so reluctantly he turned, ready to walk away.

"Dad," Adam called out to his father's retreating form.

"Yes?" Victor queried, turning back around to face him.

Taking a deep breath Adam got ready to offer an olive branch. "My son his name is Adam, Adam James but everyone calls him AJ and my daughter is called Amelie, Amelie Hope."

"Thank-you," Victor whispered and with that he left, leaving Adam alone in his office to contemplate the surprising exchange that had just taken place and what it might mean.

Meanwhile a few miles across town Chelsea sat on the sofa with Amelie curled up in her lap, the youngster having spent the best part of 2 hours suffering from stomach pains and vomiting, just one of the many side effects of the heavy treatment that she had endured over the past 6 months.

"Mama?" AJ called out, looking up from his spot on the floor.

"Yeah Buddy?" Chelsea smiled, hating that her son was so used to taking a backseat when it came to her time, something that she hoped would change now she had Adam around to carry the burden.

Standing up AJ leaned forward and kissed his sister's head. "I kissed Mimi better so we can play with our new toys now?"

"That's very sweet Buddy but Mimi needs to rest," Chelsea told her son, touched by his thoughtfulness but hating what Amelie's illness was putting both of her children through.

"You play then?" AJ asked.

Desperate not to have her son miss out but also knowing that Amelie needed the comfort of her mother Chelsea smiled sadly. "Not right now but how about I ring Adam, see if he can come home early and play with you?"

"Yay," AJ exclaimed, his face lighting up at the mention of his newest friend.

Chelsea was just about to dial Adam's number when she was interrupted by a loud banging on the door, a banging that also woke her sick child from her first moment of respite all morning.

"Mama make it stop," Amelie pleaded as she buried her head in the cushion.

Standing up Chelsea placed another cushion under Amelie's head before covering the youngster with a blanket and heading towards the door, ready to tear into whoever was on the other side for disturbing her children.

"Nikki?" Chelsea questioned, shocked to find herself face-to-face with Adam's stepmother.

"Hello Chelsea," Nikki responded, not bothering to wait for an invite as she stepped into the house.

Chelsea glared at the older woman. "What are you doing here Nikki?"

"I just came to welcome you back to Genoa City," Nikki shrugged.

"Of course you did," Chelsea muttered under breath.

Nikki turned to face the younger woman. "What was that?"

"I said that's very nice of you," Chelsea lied. "Only now really isn't a very good time."

As if on cue AJ came running up to his mother, his innocent face awash with concern as he grabbed hold of her arm. "Mama. Mama. Mimi is being sick again, all over the floor and the cushion and her jumper and-"

Not stopping to let him finish Chelsea ran straight back into the lounge where Amelie was now sat up straight, tears rolling down her pale face as her whole body continued to shake with dry heaves.

"Mama, sorry … sick," Amelie cried as she reached out for her mom, desperate for some comfort from the pain.

"Sh Baby-Girl," Chelsea whispered into her ear. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Mama's got you."

Standing by the dresser Nikki watched as Chelsea comforted her obviously very ill daughter, soothing her in a way that only a mother could as her young son watched on, terrified for his sister.

"AJ baby can you get Mama a wash cloth from the bathroom?" Chelsea asked her son, as she sat down on a clean part of the sofa, cradling Amelie against her.

When AJ didn't move Nikki headed straight for the stairs, returning just a few seconds later with 2 damp wash clothes. "Here," she said offering them to Chelsea.

"Thank-you," Chelsea said as she washed her daughter down before covering Amelie with the blanket as the youngster fell asleep, her tiny body exhausted by the morning's events.

"I kiss her better again?" AJ asked.

Chelsea reached out and pulled her son towards her, wrapping her free arm around him. "You Buddy are the best brother in the whole entire world."

"AJ loves Mimi," AJ smiled proudly, his smile falling from his face as he looked at the mess on the floor. "But I no like it when she sick."

Running her hand through her son's hair Chelsea smiled sadly. "Neither do I Buddy, neither do I."

"Can we call Adam now?" AJ asked, changing the subject.

Almost forgetting about Nikki's presence Chelsea picked up the phone, leaving a message on Adam's voicemail asking if he could come home early but reassuring him that everything was alright so that he didn't panic too much, even though she knew that he probably still would.

"Is she going to be alright?" Nikki asked, making her presence known once again.

Chelsea looked up at the other woman as AJ went back to playing with his new car seat. "Yes. Sadly this is a cycle that we're pretty used to around here."

"Your daughter, what's wrong with her?" Nikki asked, stepping closer to the sofa.

Chelsea considered her options carefully, a part of her wanted to tell Nikki that it was none of her business, but she knew that if they were going to be living in Genoa City then she couldn't hide the truth about Amelie's health forever. "She's got something called Neuroblastoma, it's a type of cancer that only children get and the chemotherapy she's been having makes her really sick, sometimes for days or weeks after."

"I'm sorry," Nikki whispered, genuinely distraught that someone so young was having to endure so much.

Chelsea nodded. "Me too."

"If there's anything we can do to help, Victor and I then please don't hesitate to ask," Nikki offered, knowing that after his initial surprise had worn off her husband wanted to be a part of his grandchildren's lives.

Chelsea looked up at Nikki, her eyes narrowed in a questioning manner. "Why are you really here? Because I know it wasn't just to welcome me back to Genoa City."

"You and I both know that our husbands have never really had the easiest of relationships, in fact it's been downright destructive most of the time but after the other night Victor has been doing a lot of soul searching and he'd really like to be a part of the children's lives. Of course that's if you'll let him," Nikki explained.

"That's not my decision to make," Chelsea pointed out. "How much Adam chooses to let his family into his life is entirely up to him."

Nikki nodded. "Right. Yes."

"Now if you don't mind I really need to get Amelie cleaned up," Chelsea said, motioning towards her sleeping daughter and the mess that the morning's vomiting session had left behind.

"Amelie, that's a really pretty name," Nikki smiled. "Your son what's his name?"

AJ stood up and faced the strange lady with the kind voice. "I'm Adam James Newman but all my people call me AJ."

"All your people?" Nikki laughed.

Smiling to herself Chelsea remembered back to the other day when Amelie had introduced herself to Adam in pretty much the exact same way.

AJ nodded. "Yep, all me people."

"Well it was very nice to meet you," Nikki told him, before turning her attention back to Chelsea. "Your children really are gorgeous. And like I said if there's anything at all we can do to help then please, let us know."

"I'll bear that in mind. Thank-you," Chelsea sighed, knowing that whether or not she took Nikki up on her offer would be entirely up to Adam.

Watching as AJ whispered something into his mother's ear Nikki realized that she had said and done all she could for now and that what happened next was completely up to Adam and Chelsea. "I'll see myself out," she offered as she waved goodbye to AJ before closing the door behind her, leaving Chelsea alone with her children as she contemplated the strange exchange and the impact it could have on her children's lives.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry about the long wait for this chapter but real life has bee so crazy that my feet have only just had a chance to hit the ground. Hopefully I'll be able to start updating regularly again.

7.

Hearing the door close Chelsea made no effort to move, instead she stayed exactly where she was on the sofa, under the blanket with Amelie curled up next to her, sleeping soundly for the first time all day.

"Hey," Adam whispered.

"Hey," Chelsea echoed.

"Is everything alright?" Adam asked, immediately picking up on the exhaustion in Chelsea's voice.

Chelsea nodded. "It is now."

"Why what happened?" Adam asked, sitting down on the table.

"Mimi has had a pretty rough day," Chelsea explained. "We had full on vomit drama for hours before she finally cried herself to sleep."

Adam stood up, panic setting in. "Do we need to take her to the hospital?"

"No," Chelsea reassured him. "Unfortunately this is a dance we're used to, it's just … it's hard you know, Mimi being sick like this takes all of my time away from AJ and he's so great but at the same time he's just a kid you know, he doesn't fully understand why Mimi isn't well enough to play with him all day and why Mama can't be there for him like I should."

"You should have called," Adam told her, hating that Chelsea didn't trust him enough yet to rely on him in situations like that.

Chelsea looked up at him with sad and tired eyes. "I did. A few times."

Taking out his phone Adam practically slumped back down onto the table when he realized that it was switched off. "I'm so sorry, I turned it off during a conference call and I must have forgot to turn it back on."

"It's ok," Chelsea smiled, not wanting Adam to beat himself up.

"No it's not," Adam argued. "I promised you that you wouldn't be alone in this and I meant it, you should be able to rely on me Chels, you should be able to trust that you can call on me day and night and I'll be there, for you and for our children."

Chelsea closed her eyes. "You're here now, and that's all that matters."

"Where is AJ?" Adam wondered, looking around for his son.

"Upstairs sleeping," Chelsea answered as Amelie started to stir in her arms.

Nodding Adam stood up. "I should check on him, make sure he's alright."

"Ok," Chelsea agreed, understanding that Adam needed to feel like he was doing something.

Alone once again Chelsea carefully stood up, cradling Amelie close to her. "Sh Baby-Girl," she whispered into her daughter's ear as the youngster started to stir.

"Sleepy," Amelie yawned.

"I know Mimi, that's why we're going upstairs to bed," Chelsea told her as she carried her daughter slowly up the stairs.

Amelie opened her eyes and looked up at her mother. "I sleep in your bed?"

"Of course," Chelsea smiled, lowering Amelie down onto her bed, walking over to the cupboard she took out the youngster's medication and almost instinctively placed a handful of colorful syrups down the feeding tube before covering her up and placing a kiss on her sleeping daughter's head.

"AJ alright?" Chelsea asked as she bumped into Adam on the landing.

Adam nodded. "Out for the count. Amelie?"

"The same, they'll both probably sleep till morning now," Chelsea told him as she followed him down the stairs.

"Seeing as the kids are safe and sleeping how about you and I open a bottle of wine? I think we both deserve some downtime," Adam suggested as Chelsea folded up the blanket, throwing it over the back of the sofa before sitting down.

Taking the glass of wine from Adam she took a sip before deciding to get straight into the strange visit she had received. "You will never believe who came around today?"

"Please don't tell me it was my father?" Adam asked, hoping that Victor had the good sense to stay away from Chelsea and the children after his warnings.

Chelsea raised her eyebrows. "Close, but no it was Nikki."

"What is their agenda?" Adam asked, not waiting for Chelsea to answer before continuing. "Only I had a visit from my father too … are they tag-teaming us now or something?"

Chelsea immediately picked up on the frustration in Adam's voice. "She said that Victor wants to be a part of his grandchildren's lives."

"And what did you say?" Adam questioned.

"I told her it wasn't my decision to make, he's your father, it's up to you how much you want him to be a part of AJ and Amelie's lives," Chelsea reassured him.

Leaning back Adam closed his eyes. "I just don't know if he really is being genuine or his sudden doting Grandfather routine is part of some master plan to … I want to believe him for the twins sake I really do but at the same time I don't want our children to become just another set of casualties in his obsession with Newman."

"Whatever you decide to do I'll support your decision," Chelsea told him.

Opening his eyes Adam turned back to face her. "But they're your children too, you should have a say in it."

"I know. But I trust that you'll make the right choice, for them and for you," Chelsea added as she took a sip of her wine.

Adam watched as Chelsea put her wine glass down. "I was in Crimson Lights today getting a coffee when I saw this couple, the woman was pregnant and the man had his hand on her stomach and it make me realize that besides how much they weighed when they were born and who came first I don't know anything; about your pregnancy, their birth, what AJ and Amelie's first words were, who learned to walk first."

"You've got plenty of time to find out all of that stuff, right now what's important is you getting to know your children and them getting to know you," Chelsea advised.

Remember back to Victor's earlier jab about how AJ had called him Adam he felt his heart break at the fact that because of his past sins his children didn't even know who he was. "But they don't even know that I'm their father. You still don't trust me enough to tell them and I know that I've hardly proved anything to you, I wasn't there when you needed me today but I am here Chels. You, AJ, Amelie, you come first above everything else my family comes first."

"It's not about how much I do and don't trust you Adam, it's about how many revelations I think my children can take in one go, I just want them to get used to you being a permanent fixture in their lives first," Chelsea explained.

"But you will tell them?" Adam asked, needing to know.

Chelsea nodded. "We'll tell them. I promise you when the time is right AJ and Amelie will know that you are their father."

"That's all I needed to know," Adam smiled, allowing himself to relax once again.

"I spoke to Mimi's doctor today," Chelsea announced, breaking the silence once more.

Adam sat up straight. "And?"

"He said that the sooner she starts the treatment the better her chances, because the last thin we want to happen is for her to relapse because then they will not allow her on the trial," Chelsea explained.

Adam nodded. "Where is the trial?"

"Sloane Kettering in New York," Chelsea replied. "The specialists in charge of neuroblastoma patients have agreed that Mimi is an ideal candidate so as soon as we prove that we have the funds and her blood counts have recovered they are happy for her to start."

"Good, that's good right?" Adam asked.

Licking her lips Chelsea took a slow, deep breath. "Yes. But we're not just talking a few thousand dollars here Adam, minimum it's going to cost at least a quarter of a million."

"Money isn't important Chels, all that matters and all that will ever matter is making sure that we keep Amelie well," Adam reassured her.

"So shall I ring them back? Let them know we are ready?" Chelsea questioned.

Adam smiled. "We. I like the way that sounds."

"We're in this together right? Every step of the way," Chelsea said, needing the reassurance that she was no longer in it alone.

Reaching out Adam took a hold of her hand. "Every step of the way."

"Good. Because-"

Chelsea's words were cut short by someone knocking loudly on the front the door, standing up Adam let go of her hand and put his wine glass down. "That better not be my father or step-mother."

"I think they've said all they've got to say for one day," Chelsea breathed, curling her feet up under her and leaning her head tiredly against the arm of the sofa.

"Here's hoping," Adam agreed.

Taking a deep breath Adam almost seemed to be bracing himself for what he might find on the other side of the door, slowly pulling it open he made sure that whoever was on the other side couldn't get inside.

"Sh … Sharon," Adam stammered, as he found himself face-to-face with his ex-wife.

"Adam. Hi," Sharon greeted.

Adam frowned, confused as to what she might be doing at his door so late at night. "What are you doing here?" he questioned, not meaning to sound so rude but she was the last person he needed to see right now, not when things were still so fragile between Chelsea and him.

"I … I er brought you those projections you asked for," Sharon explained, holding out a folder.

"That could have waited until tomorrow," Adam told her shifting his weight nervously.

Sharon looked down at the ground before speaking. "I know. Only I was at The Club when I heard Victor and Nikki talking, they said something about Chelsea being back in your life and I just wanted to come and make sure that you were alright? Only I know how broken you were the last time she left."

"I'm fine," Adam insisted, wanting to get rid of her as quickly as possible.

"Good, that's good," Sharon stammered.

"Adam. Adam. Adam," a hysterical young voice cried, his words punctuated with loud, terrified sobs.

Turning around Adam found himself practically knocked off of his feet as AJ ran into him, wrapping his arms tightly around his legs as Chelsea followed close behind.

"God Adam, I'm so sorry I don't know what's gotten into him, I tried to stop him but he caught me off guard," Chelsea explained, stopping abruptly as she spotted Sharon on the other side of the door.

Bending down Adam picked AJ up into his arms, ignoring the way that Sharon's eyes were glaring into him because right now he didn't care what she thought, all he cared about was AJ and finding out what had made his son so distressed. "What's wrong Little Man?"

"There's a monster under my bed," AJ cried in between sobs.

"A monster?" Adam questioned.

AJ nodded, wiping away his tears. "I hearded it."

"It was probably the wind or something because we don't have any monsters in this house," Adam tried to reassure his son.

"We don't?" AJ asked, lifting his head up off of Adam's shoulder.

Adam shook his head. "Nope, because we've got a very special built in monster defense system that means that no monsters can come anywhere near us."

"Really?" AJ asked as his sobbing finally stopped.

"Really," Adam reassured him.

AJ seemed to consider this for a few seconds before speaking. "Could you just come and check anyway?"

"I've got this," Chelsea said, stepping forward to take AJ from him.

AJ wrapped his arms tightly around Adam's neck. "No I want Adam to check, monsters are more scared of boys."

Laughing gently Chelsea ruffled her son's hair. "Is that so?"

"It's so," AJ agreed, his face stern and serious.

"Well then I better come up and have a look," Adam agreed, looking between Sharon and Chelsea.

Chelsea could see that Adam was reluctant to leave her alone with Sharon but she also knew that once her son's mind was made up there was no changing it and there was no way AJ would be going back to bed unless Adam searched every inch of his room. "It's fine," she reassured him.

As Adam left with AJ the two women found themselves locked in an uncomfortable silence, neither knowing what to say or do to break the tension.

Finally after what seemed like hours Sharon was the first to speak. "You have a son?"

"We have a son," Chelsea corrected.

"We?" Sharon questioned.

Chelsea nodded. "Yes Adam and I, in fact we have a daughter too," she added.

"What … how?" Sharon stuttered.

"Twins," Chelsea answered, her tone direct and straight to the point.

Sharon was unable to hide her shock as this new information. "Wow that's … how? Only I thought you had an-"

"A what?" Chelsea asked, knowing exactly what Sharon was going to say.

"Nothing, it doesn't matter," Sharon lied.

Chelsea found herself unable to hide her frustration any longer. "Abortion, you were going to say abortion weren't you?"

"Yes," Sharon timidly admitted.

"It was you wasn't it?" Chelsea accused, trying to keep her voice as low as possible, even though she knew there was little to no chance of AJ or Amelie hearing them from upstairs she still didn't want to risk it.

Sharon's eyes narrowed in a questioning manner. "What was me?"

"You were the one that told Adam I got rid of our baby? You turned my husband against me and ruined my marriage?" Chelsea realized, watching the other woman's face very carefully for any signs of confirmation that she was right.

"No. I would never do that," Sharon defended.

Chelsea stepped closer to her. "It all makes sense now. Why Adam was so angry, because there is no one else in this town who he would trust more than he trusts you, you Sharon are the only person that has that kind of power over my husband, the kind of hold that would make him chuck his pregnant wife out of his life without even giving her a chance to explain."

"No-"

"Why?" Chelsea asked, not even stopping to listen to Sharon's denials.

Walking down the stairs Adam immediately picked up on the atmosphere as he took in the body language of his wife and ex-wife. "Why what?" he asked as he approached the pair.

Turning around on the spot Chelsea faced her husband, her eyes full of pain and betrayal and bright with unshed tears. "It was her wasn't it? Sharon was the one who told you that I got rid of our baby?"


	8. Chapter 8

8.

Adam, Chelsea and Sharon stood facing each other neither one of them knowing what to say following Chelsea's accusation.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sharon stammered, being the first to break the silence.

Chelsea took a step towards Adam. "Yes you do, I can see it in your eyes."

"Chels-"

"No," Chelsea shouted, cutting him off. "I'm begging you Adam please do not defend her. Someone told you I killed our baby and I want to know why."

Sharon held up her hands in a defeated manner. "Chelsea, I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I only told Adam what I saw which was you at the hospital, alone."

"You had no right to even tell him that," Chelsea raged, her anger growing by the second.

"I know that, but he was angry and confused-"

Taking another step forward Chelsea cut her off. "So you what? Thought you would help him out a little by telling him that I had an abortion behind his back?"

"That isn't how it happened," Sharon argued.

"Then please someone tell me how it did happen because I would like to know exactly what it was that you said to my husband to make him throw me out on the street without even giving me a chance to explain why I was actually at the hospital," Chelsea said, as years of pent up frustration boiled to the surface.

Adam turned to face Sharon. "I think Chelsea and I need to talk alone."

"Right, of course," Sharon agreed as she turned and left, leaving Chelsea and Adam alone.

"I need to go and check on the children," Chelsea muttered under her breath as she turned to leave.

Reaching out Adam gently took hold of her arm. "Chelsea please, we can't ignore this any longer, not if we're going to move past all of this for the sake of the children."

"I can't …"

"Yes you can," Adam argued.

Closing her eyes Chelsea let the tears fall. "You broke me Adam."

"You weren't the only one who went through hell Chels," Adam pointed out.

"You pulled the trigger Adam, not me, you were the one who ended everything we had without even giving me a chance to explain," Chelsea cried.

Adam nodded. "I know, but I was hurting Chelsea, I believed that you had gone behind my back and aborted our child without even talking to me first."

"I told you that I didn't," Chelsea whispered.

Adam looked down at the ground as he remembered back to that fateful day when his world had come crashing around him. "I know but everything else said you did, your actions … what people saw …"

"If you really did love me as much as you claimed to you would have believed me Adam. You should have known that I would never do that, but you didn't, you chose to believe the worst and in choosing that you destroyed everything we ever had or could have had," Chelsea sobbed, her whole body shaking.

"I'm so sorry," Adam whispered as tears began to cloud his vision.

Opening her eyes Chelsea turned to face him. "Sorry is just a word Adam, it doesn't mean anything, not really."

"It's all I have Chelsea," Adam breathed, his voice so broken that it was barely audible.

"We could have had it all Adam, the whole Normal Rockwell dream," Chelsea sighed walking further into the house and sitting down, her mind, body and soul exhausted.

Adam followed her, sitting down on the table. "I thought I had lost everything."

"But you hadn't … not then anyway. In fact it was the complete opposite; you had everything Adam, you had me and I had you but that was never enough for you, no matter how hard I tried there was always something missing," Chelsea said.

Shaking his head Adam watched as she wiped at her tears. "That's not true."

"Maybe you couldn't see it, or didn't want to see it I don't know which but that's how it was. It was almost as if every time things were going right between us you started to pull away and it was that was ever since the miscarriage," Chelsea told him as she wrapped her arms around herself in a protective manner.

"I thought I was protecting you," Adam whispered.

Chelsea looked up, her eyes wide. "Protecting me from what?"

"From me," Adam finally admitted after a long pause.

"I don't-"

Cutting her off Adam knew that if he didn't speak now then he would probably lose his nerve. "Everyone in my life that I've ever cared about I've hurt Chels, I've done so much that I'm not proud of, I've destroyed lives and torn apart families and I could see the same happening with you so I thought that if I pushed you away and made you stop loving me that it would be saving you from me."

Chelsea sat in a stunned silence unable to believe what she was hearing. "As much as it hurts I understand that but what I still don't understand is why you were so ready to believe that I had an abortion?"

"Because I thought it was what I deserved," Adam replied.

"You should have trusted me enough to know," Chelsea stuttered, her whole body slumping forward as if the fight had gone from her.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them as neither spoke, they both knew that they would never be able to change what had happened in the past and that the heartache and mistakes would always be with them no matter how hard they tried to move forward from it.

"It's not even the fact that you listened to Sharon over me that hurts the most," Chelsea began, finally breaking the silence. "What hurts the most is that even after everything we'd been through together is that you didn't trust in my love for you enough to know that I would never get rid of your baby, you were it for me Adam, you were the answer to every dream I'd ever had, I loved you so much that it times it actually took my breath away how much I'd fallen for you, I'd never had that before and I'll probably never have it again," she concluded unable to meet his eyes.

Reaching out Adam took her hand tentatively in his. "It was never your love that I didn't trust Chelsea. I didn't trust that I deserved to be loved be someone like you."

"I-"

When she didn't finish Adam continued. "It took me a long time to realize that and by the time I did it was too late, you were gone and I didn't know if I would ever see you again but if you believe one thing then please believe this; I love you more than I ever thought possible and more than I will ever love anyone else."

"So what happens now?" Chelsea asked, voicing the question on both their minds.

Adam shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

"Me either," Chelsea agreed.

"But I do know this, I want you in my life Chelsea and I want to be in yours in whatever way you'll let me be it as the father of your children, your friend, or perhaps even one day as your husband again," Adam admitted.

Wrapping her fingers around his hand Chelsea looked up and finally looked him in the eye. "Friends sounds good."

Wiping at his eyes Adam smiled. "Friends."

"Friends," Chelsea echoed as she leaned towards him and smiled, a small ghost of a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes but to Adam it was still one of the most breathtaking things he had seen in a long time.

"Mama," a small voice called out, breaking the moment between them.

Turning around Chelsea spotted her daughter stood at the bottom of the stairs, a well-loved pink bunny clutched tightly in her fist.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Chelsea asked, walking over and picking her up.

"I not tired," Amelie replied, resting her head on her mother's shoulder.

Chelsea instinctively ran the back of her hand across her daughter's forehead, always on high alert for any signs of fever. "You feel ok?"

Amelie nodded. "I feel hungry."

"Hungry?" Chelsea questioned. "Like really, really hungry or just a little bit hungry?"

"Really, really hungry," Amelie exclaimed putting her hand on her stomach to emphasize her point.

Sitting her down on the couch Chelsea turned her attention towards Adam. "You alright to keep her out of trouble whilst I make a snack?"

"Of course," Adam agreed.

"Is it your bedtime too?" Amelie asked Adam once they were alone together.

Looking up at the clock Adam nodded. "Yep."

"Mama says that sometimes growed-ups have to stay up after bedtime to get things done," Amelie told him. "Is you getting things done?"

"Yes, I'm getting lots of important things done," Adam smiled.

Amelie shuffled herself forward so that she was closer to him. "Can I help you?"

"I'm all done now," Adam told her.

"Oh," Amelie sighed. "I like helping Mama get things done."

Adam smiled as her, constantly amazed by the fact that such a perfect little person belonged to him. "I bet you're a big help?"

"Yep," Amelie nodded. "Much better than AJ."

"Well maybe tomorrow you can help me in the garden if the weather is nice," Adam suggested.

"I've never had a garden before," Amelie said, dangling her legs off of the end of the chair.

Smiling Adam had an idea. "How about tomorrow we all go to the store and pick out the best swing set that they have?"

"Really?" Amelie questioned, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Really," Adam agreed.

Standing up Amelie pulled herself up onto his lap. "You're the best boy in whole world."

"And you're the best little-girl in the whole world," Adam retorted, his eyes tearing up only this time it was tears of happiness rather than pain.

"I want to live here with you, Mama and AJ forever," Anelie yawned, leaning her head on his chest.

Adam rested his head on top of hers. "That sounds perfect."

"Adam?" Amelie whispered, tilting her head up to look at him.

"Yes?" Adam smiled as blue eyes locked with blue eyes.

Lifting her hand up Amelie traced it across his face as if she was trying to etch it in her memory. "I love you," she whispered, closing her eyes and snuggling further into him.

As those 2 words echoed through his heart and soul Adam realized that this would be one of the moments that defined him, because there in the early hours of the morning with his daughter cuddles against he found himself feeling like a father for the first time since he'd found out about Amelie and AJ and the way he felt was something that he wanted to hold on forever and never let go.

It was also in the moment that he knew he would do whatever it took to make Chelsea believe him again because all that mattered was his wife and his children and for the first time he didn't care about having his father's love because he had the love of his children and that meant more to him than anything else in the world.


	9. Chapter 9

So this chapter is a little shorter than usual but it's more a bridge chapter before the inevitable DRAMA!

9.

"Amelie Hope Newman get your cute little behind over here," Chelsea ordered her defiant daughter as the youngster continued to run in circles around the lounge dressed only in a pair of denim overalls.

Amelie stopped and turned to face her mother, placing her hands on her hips. "No."

"I won't tell you again," Chelsea warned as she took a step towards her daughter.

"No," Amelie repeated.

Chelsea sat down on the couch. "Fine then you and I will just have to stay here all day little-lady."

"But I want to go to the park for a picnic with Adam and AJ," Amelie sulked.

Taking in her daughter's inappropriate attire Chelsea shook her head. "Not dressed like that your not."

"But I like this," Amelie protested.

"I don't care," Chelsea informed her stubborn daughter. "You need more layers on so that you don't get cold."

Walking over to the large window Amelie looked outside. "But the sun is in the sky to keep me not cold."

"You either put these clothes on," Chelsea said, motioning to the outfit she had chosen. "Or Adam and AJ will be enjoying the picnic without us."

"Fine," Amelie sulked as she practically stomped over to her mother, grabbed the clothes and then stomped towards the stairs.

Entering the room Adam watched as his daughter stomped up the stairs muttering something under her breath about how unfair it was that she never got to wear what she wanted to. "Having fun?"

"Stubborn little madam," Chelsea chuckled.

"I wonder where she gets that from?" Adam laughed.

Looking up at him Chelsea raised her eyebrows. "True. With half of my DNA and half of yours she was never going to be a shrinking violet was she?"

"Stubborn is good though, it means she'll fight with everything she has," Adam pointed out, referring to invisible evil that was raging a war inside his little-girl's body.

"You know mornings like this I forget how sick she is, when she's stomping and pouting and throwing a diva fit it's just like she's a normal 3-year-old child and not someone that is battling cancer. I wish it could stay like this forever," Chelsea whispered.

Adam handed her a cup of coffee. "Tantrums and all?"

"I'll take feet stomping, eye rolling and tantrum throwing over chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy any day," Chelsea said as she took a sip of her coffee.

Adam glanced over towards the kitchen where AJ sat at the breakfast bar eating his cereal and trying to read the story on the pack of the packet. "I should get back in the kitchen, promised AJ I'd help him with the game on the back of the cereal packet."

"Yeah and I should go and see what damage Hurricane Mimi is creating upstairs," Chelsea sighed as she stood up and headed towards the stairs, taking her cup of coffee with her.

"We make a good team Chels," Adam smiled as he headed back into the kitchen.

Making her way up the stairs Chelsea couldn't help but agree with him, it may have only been a matter of weeks since Adam had come into their lives but the transition had almost been seem less and despite her initial reservations Chelsea didn't know how she would cope without him. And if she was honest with herself she never wanted to find out.

"Oh My God," Chelsea exclaimed as she entered the twins bedroom to find that in the minute since she had been upstairs on her own Amelie had managed to empty every single item of clothing out of her drawers.

Standing up from where she sat amidst a pile of clothes, a now completely undressed Amelie stood up and faced her mother. "It wasn't me, I found it like this, it must have been AJ … or maybe Adam."

"I smell a lie," Chelsea informed her mischievous daughter.

"Nah-uh," Amelie insisted.

Stepping towards her daughter's Chelsea's instincts immediately kicked in as she spotted what was different about the youngster. "Mimi where's your wiggly?" she asked, referring to the feeding tube that usually sat in her daughter's nose.

Amelie shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."

"Amelie Hope Newman what have you done with your wiggly?" Chelsea demanded to know, panic beginning to set in as the feeding tube was the only way she was able to get her daughter's medication into her.

"I lost it," Amelie announced.

Chelsea narrowed her eyes in a questioning manner. "You lost it? It's pretty hard to lose when it was taped to your face."

"Well I did," Amelie breathed as she continued to look through the mountain of clothes that surrounded her.

"Where is it?" Chelsea questioned.

Amelie looked up at her mother, her bright blue eyes sparkling. "I don't know. But I do know that it is not down the toilet."

Heading towards the bathroom Chelsea had to stifle a laugh as she spotted the device in question hanging over the edge of the toilet bowl, whilst she knew that not having the tube in for the next few hours wouldn't do Amelie any harm as she's already had her morning medication she hated the idea of a trip to the hospital to put a new one in, because whilst it may have been a simple procedure it was still horrible to watch as Amelie would fight the nurses every step of the way.

"Well, well, look what I found down the toilet," Chelsea announced as she reentered the bedroom carrying the feeding tube.

Not even stopping to look up from the pile of clothes Amelie shrugged. "AJ must have put it there."

"AJ has been downstairs with Adam," Chelsea reminded her daughter.

"Well then it must have falled out when I was in the bathroom," Amelie lied.

Chelsea sat down on the floor opposite her daughter. "Mimi you know this means we have to put a new one in, right Kiddo?"

"No," Amelie cried, looking up at her mother, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"I know you hate it but it's the only way you'll take your medicine," Chelsea explained, hating that her daughter had to go through so much.

Amelie stood up, her face fixed with a look of defiance. "No. No. No. I'll eated my medicine I promise just please don't make them put it back."

"But you hate swallowing your medicine," Chelsea said, her anger quickly replaced with sympathy for her little-girls plight.

"I will. Please Mama," Amelie begged.

Deciding that it was worth a try Chelsea nodded. "Ok. Will give it a go but if you can't swallow it then we have to go straight to the hospital to put a new one in. Deal?"

"Deal," Amelie agreed.

"Now hurry up and get dressed before AJ and Adam decide to leave without us," Chelsea ordered as she lifted the youngster up onto the bed and helped her into a much warmer outfit choice.

"Mama?" Amelie said, just as they were about to walk out of the room.

Chelsea knelt down so that they were eye-to-eye. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry that I threw my wiggly down the toilet I just didn't want it anymore," Amelie finally admitted, throwing her arms around her mother's shoulder by way of an apology.

"That's ok Kiddo, just don't lie to Mama next time ok?" Chelsea pleaded with her daughter, wanting Amelie to know that she could be honest with her no matter what.

Amelie nodded. "I promise Mama."

"Everything alright?" Adam asked as he spotted Chelsea and Amelie finally making their way down the stairs.

Chelsea nodded, letting go of Amelie's hand as the youngster ran off to join her brother. "It is now."

"Anything I can do?" Adam offered.

Helping her children on with their jackets Chelsea shook her head. "You're doing it already," she smiled as she leaned across and kissed him on the cheek.

Behind them AJ and Amelie watched the interaction with a matching set of smiles plastered across their faces. "Mama's got a boyfriend," Amelie sung.

"Mama and Adam sitting in a tree. K. P. L. M. D. D. D," AJ sung, remembering a song he had heard somewhere before but not quite getting it right.

"Busted," Chelsea whispered into Adam's ear as they bundled the twins out of the house and towards the car, hoping that the rest of the day would be a lot more drama free and they could just enjoy a picnic outdoors as a family.


	10. Chapter 10

10.

Unloading the car Adam watched as AJ and Amelie ran off towards the park, Chelsea hot on their heels to make sure that they didn't get into any trouble.

"I'll just manage this lot by myself then shall I?" Adam shouted after the retreating forms of his family, an amused smile snaking across his lips.

"Mama, push me on the swings," AJ asked as he climbed up onto the rubber seat.

Amelie followed her brother. "No Mama push me."

"I'll push you both until Adam gets here and then he can take over with one of you," Chelsea suggested as she looked over her shoulder to where Adam was setting up a picnic blanket in the shade of a tree.

Amelie tried to get herself started by pumping her legs backwards and forwards. "I want Adam to push me."

"No," AJ argued. "I want Adam to push me."

"Wow I feel loved," Chelsea laughed as Adam approached them.

Spotting his new friend AJ decided to get his request in first. "Adam push me."

"No Adam is pushing me," Amelie sulked.

"Lucky for you Adam is strong enough to push the both of you," Chelsea reasoned, determined to keep the peace between her spirited duo.

AJ nodded in agreement. "Yeah he has 2 arms."

"Good luck," Chelsea whispered into his ear as she walked over to the picnic blanket where she set about unloading the basket of food that she had packed.

Once everything was set out ready Chelsea laid down on the blanket, closing her eyes she allowed herself to relax, safe in the knowledge that her children were being looked after by their father, the only person in the world that she knew would protect them just as fiercely as she would.

"John Abbott get your cheeky little behind here," Chelsea heard a familiar voice shout as she looked up to find herself staring into the familiar features of Billy Abbott as he wrestled playfully with Johnny.

Billy stopped, frozen to the spot as he found himself face-to-face with the woman that had given birth to his son for the first time in 4 years.

"Ch … Chelsea," Billy stammered.

"Hi," Chelsea replied, her eyes momentarily darting over to the swings where Adam and the twins were still happily playing.

Billy pulled his son closer to him. "I didn't realize you were back in town."

"I've been staying under the radar," Chelsea admitted.

"How long are you back for?" Billy asked his eyes darting between Johnny and Chelsea.

Chelsea could see the panic in his eyes. "I didn't come here to upset your family," she assured him, being purposefully vague so that she didn't confuse Johnny.

"Hey Kiddo why don't you see if you can get all the way to the top of the spider web today?" Billy suggested to his son, rubbing the youngsters golden-brown locks affectionately.

"Ok. But if I don't make it will you help me," Johnny asked, his bright blue eyes the mirror of his father.

Billy waited until he was sure Johnny was out of earshot before turning his attention back to Chelsea. "Then why are you back?"

"For my family," Chelsea breathed.

"Family?" Billy asked, his eyes clouding over with suspicion.

Chelsea drew his attention to the swings where Adam stood laughing at something one of the twins was saying. "Yes. Family."

"You have children?" Billy asked as he watched the youngsters wrap Adam around their little fingers as he alternated between pushing swings.

Chelsea nodded. "Yes. Twins. AJ and Amelie. But it's er … it's complicated, Adam he didn't know about them until recently so …"

"Why now?" Billy wondered out loud.

"Amelie, my daughter she's sick and Adam, no matter what happened between us all those years ago he has a right to know them and them him," Chelsea explained.

Billy switched his attention to the little girl as she laughed, kicking her legs faster and faster in a bid to touch the sky. "Sick? How?"

"Johnny's gotten so big," Chelsea smiled as she watched her first born concentrate all his efforts on trying to reach the top of the spider web, his eyes wide and his tongue pocking out between his lips.

"Yeah. He turns 5 next week," Billy reminded her.

Looking down at the ground Chelsea nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes it still feels like yesterday that I was pregnant."

"How old are the twins?" Billy asked, feeling uncomfortable with the current line of conversation.

"They'll be 4 in September," Chelsea replied, standing up as Amelie came running across the grass towards her.

Running up to her Amelie wrapped her arms around Chelsea's legs. "Mama my tummy is making hungry noises."

"Well it's a good job I brought all of this food then," Chelsea smiled motioning to the picnic spread.

Billy watched as Chelsea helped Amelie fill her plate up with food. "I'll leave you to it. I should go and rescue Johnny from the spider web."

"Spider?" Amelie asked, her face lighting up with intrigue. "Where? I love spiders."

"It's not a real spider Mimi, it's just another name for the climbing net," Chelsea informed her creepy-crawly loving daughter.

"Oh," Amelie sulked as she turned her attention back to the food.

Over at the swings Adam and AJ where just about to head over for some food when AJ spotted the climbing net. "Adam can I have a go. Please?"

"I think you need to be a little bit bigger first," Adam pointed out.

AJ shook his head. "No. I'm as big as the boy climbing it."

"I think he's a little bit bigger than you Buddy," Adam said, watching as Billy helped Johnny up the net.

"Nah-uh," AJ protested. "Look I'm much stronger," AJ added as he tried to flex his muscles in a bid to prove that he was big enough to try and climb the spider web.

Adam could see that AJ wasn't going to give up the battle anytime soon, after all he was his son and he had obviously inherited his stubborn streak from his mother and father, which meant that he was twice as stubborn as his parents.

"Ok I'll make a deal with you, you can have a go at climbing the net if I get to have one too?" Adam suggested, wanting to be there to catch AJ if he fell but not wanting the youngster to realize that he was being babied.

AJ reached out and shook Adam's hand. "It's a deal. Let's go."

Chelsea felt her heart hammering in her chest as she watched Adam and AJ race towards the spider web where Billy and Johnny were also playing. For so long she had tried to protect her children from the pain and heartache of her past as well as the inevitable power struggles and battled that would come with having the last name Newman. But now as she watched AJ climb just a few feet from Johnny she couldn't help but fear that her past and present were just seconds away from crashing into each other.

"Mama," Amelie called, breaking Chelsea from her reverie.

Chelsea turned to face her daughter, immediately feeling herself calm down as she looked into the young-girls innocent eyes. "Yes Baby-Girl?"

"I need to ask you a very, very, very serious question," Amelie frowned, putting down the cupcake she was in the middle of eating.

"Ask away," Chelsea smiled.

Shuffling across on her knees Amelie sat herself in her mother's lap. "Can Adam be my Daddy?"

"Wh … What?" Chelsea stammered.

Amelie looked up at her mother before repeating her question. "Can Adam be my Daddy?"

"Your Daddy?" Chelsea asked, her voice shaking, she knew when she called Adam and asked him to meet her that this was a question she would have to face at some point in the future, she just hadn't expected it to be like this. She had hoped that when the time was right she would be able to sit the twins down and explain everything to them in a controlled setting, well as controlled as things could be with a pair of 3-year-old.

Amelie nodded. "At the hospital Lola and Ben and Sammy and Mark all had a Daddy and it would be really cool if I could have one too and I think that Adam would make a really cool one because he's funny and nice and he has pretty hair for a boy," she explained without even stopping to take a breath.

"Mimi Baby, Adam is a very important part of our lives and trust me he's not going anywhere. Ok?" Chelsea told her daughter, not wanting to lie to the youngster but at the same time she also knew that now was no the time and place to be having this conversation.

Amelie seemed to consider Chelsea's words for a minute before nodding. "Ok."

"Chelsea," Adam called out from the top of the spider web where he, Billy, AJ and Johnny proudly stood, the two young boys beaming from ear-to-ear at their successful climb.

"Mama," AJ added as Adam waved him over.

Standing up Chelsea clapped. "Wow look at you, you're practically on top of the world," she exclaimed.

AJ nodded. "I am. I'm taller than the Emerald State Building."

Not stopping to correct him Chelsea nodded. "You sure are buddy. Now how about you and Adam climb on over here and have some of this food before Mimi eats it all."

"On our way," Adam shouted back as he helped AJ down from the net.

"On our way," AJ echoed as they reached the floor and sprinted across the grass towards the picnic blanket.

Sitting down next to Chelsea Adam watched as her eyes seemed transfixed on the swings where Billy and Johnny were trying to out swing each other. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Chelsea nodded. "Yeah. It's just-"

"Hard," Adam finished for her.

"Yeah," Chelsea agreed as she shook her head, almost as if she was trying to shake the pain and memories of the past from her mind.

Adam reached out and took her hand in his. "We can take the picnic back to the house, set it up by the lake and then maybe take the kids out on the paddle boats?"

"No," Chelsea replied. "I can't hide the kids away forever. It's not fair on them."

"Mama can we go and get a chocolate milkshake after?" AJ asked, breaking the moment between Adam and Chelsea.

Reaching out Chelsea ran her hand through his soft locks. "Are you sure it's milkshake you want? Only I know this great place that serves the best ice cream this side of the-"

"I want ice-cream," Amelie shouted, standing up and walking over to Adam she sat down in his lap.

"Me too," AJ agreed, reaching out and helping himself to a sandwich.

"Me three," Adam agreed as he wrapped his arms around his daughter, pride radiating through him as he realized that she trusted him enough to come to him.

Feeling the weight of the past lifting Chelsea laughed along with her children. "Ice-cream it is then."

"Yay," AJ and Amelie sung in unison.

"AJ," a young boys voice called out as Johnny ran across the park towards them Billy hot on his heels.

Putting his food down on his plate AJ stood up to greet his friend. "Johnny."

"Do you want to come and play ball with me?" Johnny asked.

"We're going for ice-cream," AJ informed his friend, the disappointment at not being able to go and play obvious in his features.

As Chelsea watched AJ and Johnny interact she felt a confusing mix of fear and pride at the amazing young boys that they had both become. And as she watched the blossoming friendship between the pair of them she hated that she was letting her fears get in the way because after everything he had been through she knew AJ deserved to have a friend. After all it had been hard for the youngster to really make friends living out of a suitcase in a hotel as he went from hospital room to hospital room with his sister.

Johnny looked up at his father, his bright blue eyes sparkling. "Can we go for ice-cream too? Please?"

Billy looked over at Chelsea his expression that of a rabbit caught in the headlights. "Not today Buddy."

"Please," Johnny pleaded. "AJ is going."

"We promised we'd meet your Mom for lunch," Billy reminded his son.

Johnny's shoulders slumped with his obvious disappointment. "Oh."

"Maybe we can go for ice-cream another time," Billy suggested.

Knowing he wasn't going to win this battle Johnny nodded. "Ok. Can AJ come?"

"We'll see," Billy hedged, not wanting to get into it right now, not with the 3 children easily within earshot.

"Can he come to my birthday party?" Johnny asked, before turning his attention to his new friend. "I'm going to be 5 next week and I'm having a racing car party at the go-kart track it's gonna be really fun and it will be really cool of you could come."

Nodding his head vigorously AJ turned towards his mother. "Please Mama can I go?"

"I'll talk to Johnny's parents and see if we can work something out," Chelsea replied, knowing that she would have to think very carefully about it as would Billy and Victoria.

"We should head off, your Mom is probably waiting," Billy said as he took Johnny by the hide.

Following his father Johnny looked over his shoulder to where his new friend stood watching him leave. "Bye AJ."

"Bye Johnny," AJ called across the park.

"I really hope you can come to my party," Johnny added before they were completely out of earshot.

Once he could no longer see his friend AJ turned back to join his parents and sister on the picnic blanket. "That's Johnny. He's my new friend."

"But I thought I was your friend," Amelie pouted.

AJ shuffled along so that he was sat opposite his sister. "You are Mimi, but you're my sister friend and Johnny is my friend who is a boy. We can play ball and cars together all of the things that you don't like."

"I like cars," Amelie frowned.

"No you don't," AJ retorted.

"Do so," Amelie countered.

"Nah uh," AJ sung.

Realizing that this could go on for a while Chelsea decided to intervene. "Are you guys going to spend the rest of the day arguing or are we going to pack up here and get some ice-cream?"

"Get some ice-cream," AJ and Amelie both replied, finally agreeing on something.

Y&R - Y&R - Y&R

"Can I have mint chocolate?" AJ asked.

"I want cookie dough," Amelie added.

Adam nodded. "Can I have one mint chocolate and one cookie dough please," he asked the lady behind the counter before turning around to face Chelsea. "The usual?"

Chelsea shook her head. "I'll just have a coffee."

"Are you ok?" Adam asked, worried about how quiet Chelsea had been since the park.

"I'm fine," Chelsea lied as she got the twins settled in at an empty table as Adam waited for the ice-creams.

Carefully balancing the coffees and ice-creams back to the table Adam stopped abruptly as he found himself face-to-face with his brother and Faith.

"Adam." Nick greeted.

"Nicholas," Adam nodded.

"Hi Adam." a 10-year-old Faith smiled.

Adam returned his nieces smile. "Hello."

"Dad can I have a triple cone?" faith asked.

Nick nodded before reaching into his wallet and handing Faith some money. "I'll join you in a minute."

"Ok," Faith agreed. "Bye Adam."

"Bye," Adam echoed.

Nick looked down at the mountain of treats that Adam was carrying. "Hungry?"

"Something like that," Adam hedged as he watched AJ climb down from the table and head towards him he wanted nothing more than to grab his children and run, take them as far away from the animosity that seemed to surround him every time he was in the company of one of his family members.

"Adam," AJ called out, tugging on his trouser leg.

Adam looked down at his son. "Hey Buddy."

"Our ice-creams are going to melt," AJ pointed out before looking up at the other man. "Hello," he smiled.

Nick smiled down at the youngster, as he tried to place his familiar brown eyes. "Hello."

"I'm AJ," the youngster smiled as he stood next to Adam.

"Well it's very nice to meet you AJ," Nick replied. "I'm Nick."

AJ then turned his attention back to Adam. "Can I have my ice-cream please?"

"Sure," Adam agreed as he handed AJ his cone. "Think you can carry your sister's too?"

Nodding AJ took Amelie's in his other hand. "I'm very strong."

"You sure are," Adam agreed as he watched AJ head back over to the table and hand Amelie her ice-cream he could feel Nick's eyes on him.

"Chelsea's back," Nick observed.

Adam nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me I have somewhere more important to be."

"The children, are they yours?" Nick asked.

"Yes," Adam answered, not in the mood to get into yet another confrontation with his brother.

Watching as Chelsea wiped some ice-cream off of the little-girls face Nick found himself enchanted by the scene as he laid eyes on his niece and nephew for the first time. "They're beautiful. Congratulations."

Of all the replies Adam had been expecting from Nick that wasn't even on the list. "Thank-you," Adam stammered, not knowing what else to say as he headed back over to join his family.

"Are you alright?" Chelsea asked.

Adam nodded, watching as AJ and Amelie swapped ice-cream cones so that they could both have some of each flavor. "I'm more than alright," Adam reassured her as he reached out and took her hand in his it was like nothing else existed and the only people that mattered were those sat at the table with him. "In fact for the first time in a long time I'm more than alright."

"Me too," Chelsea agreed as she leaned his head on his shoulder, feeling peace in the knowledge that whatever happened she would always have someone by her side fighting with her.

"Me too," AJ agreed even though he had no idea what he was agreeing too.

Looking up from her ice-cream cone Amelie smiled up at her parents, her face covered. "And me too."


End file.
